Freestyle Designs takes UK’s first Anapurna Ciervo

Wide Format Solutions Print Solutions

Freestyle Designs in Bath has become the first UK customer of the new Anapurna Ciervo H3200 print engine. The ‘early adopter’ investment secures the company as a beta site, receiving additional technical support that will help rigorously test the flexibility and commercial benefits of this powerful new machine.

The new device is a hybrid wide format inkjet printer. It is designed with a 3.2 metre print width to handle a wide range of rigid and roll media for indoor and outdoor applications. Its productivity is enhanced through efficient continuous board feeding and the ability to print on multiple boards, up to four simultaneously. The printer's borderless printing reduces the need for post finishing, and it can achieve pre-white, sandwich white, and post white in one run. Its UV-LED technology brings great ecological benefits too.

Freestyle Designs was established in 2008 by Jayson Godridge, who entered the print industry after finishing school. He had worked for several print businesses, but when the last one folded due to the recession at the time, he decided to take the plunge and start his own business by investing in a plotter and installing it at home. Within a few months, he rented a small unit in Bath and began to build a team of staff to help him grow and establish the business. The current 6500 square foot site on Locksbrook Road Trading Estate in Bath, is his third premises, where and he and his team of 10 operate. The business offers a wide range of print related services, including signage, hoardings, shop fascias, wall graphics, office interiors, and vehicle wraps.

Jayson said. ‘In 2021, we bought our first Agfa hybrid printer to replace an old flatbed machine that we had outgrown. At the time, we chose the smaller 2.5 metre Agfa Anapurna model due to space limitations in our old location. This new printer was a game changer for us, offering robust performance and significantly increased capacity compared to the old press, without any sacrifice in quality.

‘When we relocated to our current larger premises 18 months ago, we brought the Anapurna with us. However, as our business expanded, we needed a printer that could handle larger materials and improve our print speeds. One area we focused on was single piece wallcoverings, so we began to look into machines that could handle up to three metres to avoid seams in the material. After conducting thorough research and considering various options, we narrowed our choices down. Ultimately, we went with the new Agfa Anapurna Ciervo because it was faster, used less ink, and we were already familiar with the system. We were also impressed by the quality, perfect for some of our detailed point of sale work, which could still be produced at speed.’